Molded female connector



March 24, 1964 w. P. HERMAN 3,126,242

MOLDED FEMALE CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 21, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLIAM R HERMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,125,242 MGLDED FEMALE QQNNEQTGR William P. Herman, Providence, 11.1., assignor, by mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, inc New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 869,766 1 tilaim. ((31. 339-62) My present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to a novel molded female connector.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel female connector in which the blades are molded into the connector body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a female connector having a novel blade construction designed for a molded plug body.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel female connector in which the blades are furnished in strip form for ready assembly with the electrical cord connection.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a female connector embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of a portion of a strip of contact blades.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of contact blades assembled to the cord lead wires.

In the manufacture of electrical connectors of the molded type, a pair of contact blades are attached to the ends of the cord lead wires by soldering or crimping and the plug body is then molded around the cord lead connection and the portion of the blade within the plug body. This assembly is fairly simple in a male plug which is solid. However, in molding female type plugs provision must be made for the slot into which the male blades are pushed. This complicates the molding operation since the mold material, whether rubber or plastic has a tendency to run into the slot around the inserts forming the slot and holding the blade. The present invention is designed to provide a novel blade construction which permits the mold insert to hold the blade in proper position while at the same time providing a clean slot directly adjacent to the blade for forming the female connector.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the female connector of the present invention comprises a plug husk or body 10 of molded resilient material such as rubber or plastic having a pair of slots 11 extending from the bottom end. A cord lead connection 12 enters the plug body from the top with the bare ends electrically connected to the contact blades and embedded in the plug body 10 as shown in FIG. 2.

The contact blades of the present invention are preferably manufactured in strip form so that their assembly with the cord lead wires can be facilitated on a semiautomatic machine. Referring to FIG. 5, the strip of blades 13 is formed with the blades transversely of the strip. Each blade comprises an elongated flat lower portion 14 reentrantly bent at an acute angle at the bottom end 15. A slot 16 is provided at the bend for the purpose of locking with a core pin for holding the blade in the plug mold and for forming the slots 11. At the center each blade is preferably provided with a detent 17 which extends into each slot 11 as shown in FIG. 4 for better electrical contact with the male contact pins inserted in the slots. The upper end of each blade is tapered at 18 with the outer end provided with lugs 19 at each edge for engaging the bare cord lead connections 12. The individual blades are connected in strip form by integral connecting portions 26*.

In forming the plug, the blades are first attached to the cord lead connections 12 as shown in FIG. 6. This is done on a crimping press which cuts the connecting portions 29 from the blades and closes the lugs 19 around the cord lead connections. The core pin is then inserted so that it locks with the slot 16 and extends along the outer surface of each blade to form the slots 11 as shown in FIG. 2. The upper end of each blade, at the lugs 19, are bent inwardly before molding. After molding it will be found that the lower bent ends 15 are embedded in the plug body and the upper ends with the lugs 19 and cord lead connections together with the insulation on the cord lead connections are also embedded in the plug body. This fixes the position of the blades with respect to the slots 11 so they will not move or be dislodged during use. The detents 17 help to hold the male contact elements since they form restricted slot portions.

With the above construction the blades are of minimum length for the length of the slot as required by the Underwriters Laboratories and yet are provided with sufficient anchoring means for holding them rigidly in position. The plug can thus be manufactured easily and rapidly with a minimum of cost and a minimum of Waste material. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

A molded female connector comprising a one piece body of molded resilient dielectric material having a pair of slots terminating within said body and adapted to receive a pair of male contact pins, .a pair of contact blades within said body, each said contact blade having an elongated rectangular central portion coextensive with a substantial portion of the inner wall of the associated slot, each said contact blade having a reentrant bend at one end, said bend forming an acute angle with said central portion, an opening in said reentrant bend extending partly into said central portion for accurately securing and locating said blade during the molding operation forming said connector body having said slots, the reentrant portion of said bend being embedded in said body member adjacent the longitudinal center line thereof and extending rearwardly of said body member for anchoring each said contact blade within said body member, the other end of each said blade having a pair of opposed triangularly shaped offset lugs adapted to be bent over the lead wire of a conductor, said central portion of each said blade having a reduced section adjacent said lugs and a detent on said central portion extending into said slot at the innermost end thereof, said reduced section being bent inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said body member, said reduced portion and said lugs being embedded in said body member for further anchoring each said contact blade within said body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,896 Gates Feb. 18, 1930 2,308,324 Benander Ian. 12, 1943 2,318,485 Herman May 4, 1943 2,329,464 Gaynor Sept. 14, 1943 2,669,701 Brus Feb. 16, 1954 2,814,789 Herman et a1. Nov. 26, 1957 2,869,093 Benander Jan. 13, 1959 2,871,551 Harris Feb. 3, 1959 2,891,304 Colvin June 23, 1959 

